Untitled

Podujevo 1999 – Beyond Reasonable DoubtFuture of war crimes trialsThe prevailing view in Serbia is that war crimes suspects should be triedby domestic courts rather than the International Criminal Tribunal for theFormer Yugoslavia in The Hague. This is something the international communitywould also like to see and has provided Serbia with major fundingto make it possible. The money was used to modernise and equip courtroomsand the detention unit. What is lacking, however, is any genuinereadiness of the institutions and society in this country to take responsibilityfor the crimes committed during the Milošević regime. This, unfortunately,is further away at present than it used to be.Instead, what we have is a judge whose life is being threatened, a witnessunder police protection paying a high price for giving testimony, and policewho question a witness just before his appearance in court. And all thisto protect Commander Boca, and others who profited from the war, seniorofficers and those guilty of wrongdoing in Srebrenica, Podujevo and manyother places. Legislation on witness protection can lay down the best possiblemeasures but who will encourage people to tell the truth in court ifwe all know that “the nation” would be best pleased with a law prohibitingthe prosecution of any Serbs for war crimes.Nataša Kandić,6 February 2004203